José Calzada Salazar, a veteran of the Lucha Libre wrestling circuit, died on Sunday night (May 24) at age 56 after a high-risk maneuver went wrong, according to reports.
According to El Diario de Juárez, Salazar was wrestling in at Arena Internacional in Ciudad Juárez when he attempted what appeared to be a moonsault dive from the ring’s top rope. He instead fell onto the concrete floor outside the ring, and local police later said Salazar struck his head directly when landing.
The newspaper added that the show was stopped and the building was evacuated after the incident. A public safety spokesperson said paramedics at the scene attempt to help, but the wrestler had broken his neck and died immediately.
El Diario de Juárez noted that Salazar was also known by the ring name “El Piloto Suicida,” and he had a reputation for using aerial maneuvers.
Following news of his passing, fellow figures in the Lucha Libre community posted remembrances of Salazar, including Angel El Elegante del Ring, a referee of Mexican wrestling.
Some members of the U.S. wrestling world also took note of Salazar’s death, though there seemed to be some confusion regarding his identity.
Veteran wrestling journalist Dave Meltzer wrote in response to one message about Salazar: “This isn’t the wrestler that I used to watch in Los Angeles in the 90s, is it?”
Christopher Daniels, a retired American wrestler best-known for his time in TNA, initially mistook Salazar for another luchador who Daniels said also used the name “El Piloto Suicida.”
“Thank you to fans who informed me that this was not the Piloto Suicida that I worked with in the past,” Daniels wrote. “My condolences to the family and friends of the luchador who passed, a terrible tragedy regardless.”
We at Cageside Seats send our deepest condolences to the family, friends, and fans of José Calzada Salazar.
Please share your thoughts on Salazar’s passing the comments.
